Dirtyhands

eleven

*Van Eck's Pov*

Van Eck's eyes seem as though they are going to burn a hole into the man across from him. It's Per Haskell. He is older than when they first met, but that was to be expected. They had met over twenty years ago. What isn't expected was the washed-up state he is in.

"Haskell." Van Eck murmurs and sits across from his old employee.

"Not looking so good Jan." Haskell almost chuckles as he drinks from a bottle full of a brown liquid. "Missing your throne?"

"Are you missing yours?" Van Eck replies and quirks a brow.

Haskell's face gets red with rage and he looks away.

"What would you say if I told you that I could return your crown?" Van Eck asks, sparking Haskell's interest.

"I would ask you how the hell you plan on doin' that?" Haskell responds.

"Let's just say that I've made friends in all of the right places." Van Eck states.

"Like Rollins?" Haskell hums.

"Yes." Van Eck answers.

"So why do you need me?" Haskell inquires.

"For a plethora of reasons. Firstly, I can trust you more than I can trust Rollins. Secondly, you know Brekker better than any of us, and lastly, because I feel as though our friendship could continue to be mutually beneficial. I'll be getting my business back soon and I'll bet that security would be a good investment." Van Eck answers.

"It definitely would be..." Haskell says softly. "You've got yourself a deal comrade. I'll round up the few who are still loyal to me."

"Good. Good." Van Eck grins. His grin is sinister and reveals slightly yellowed teeth. It looks unnatural on his face. "Let's keep this between us. I don't need Rollins growing suspicious. The poor man has lost all of his trust."

"That would be wise," Haskell says and nods in response.

Van Eck looks around the filthy tavern. "Clean yourself up and then we'll get down to business. Meet me in the financial district at five chimes tomorrow." He orders and gets up. He forces his chin up into the air and then walks out of the bar.

"Well boys, the next round is on me!" Haskell calls out and raises his glass as the crowd cheers.

*Kaz's POV*

It smells like the inside of a cat's stomach. A drunk cat to be more specific. The rundown tavern has always had a pungent odor but it seems exponentially worse today. Dirty glasses clash against the dark wooden bar as drunk men drink.

The bartender was a middle-aged man. He had a greying beard that had scorch marks at the bottom. A thin scar runs across the bridge of his nose. "What can I get you?" He asks. His voice is deep and rough.

"Information," Kaz says and tosses a sack of coin at him. The man catches it and pulls a small dirty glass out from under the bar. He fills it with scotch and pushed it over to an already seated Kaz.

"On what?" The bartender inquires softly. His brows knit together.

"Rollins, Van Eck. Any word on the street?" Kaz hums and drinks the scotch.

"Van Eck was in here not too long ago. He spoke to Haskell then cleared out pretty fast. Saw him heading west." The bartender replies and cleans some glasses. "Haskell left as well. Probably moved on to the next pub."

"Hmm. Do you know what they were talking about?" Kaz asks.

"I might have." The bartender hums and jingles the coin pouch.

Kaz's face darken. "You either did or didn't. Although it would be rather tragic if you didn't because then you would have lost your usefulness." He growls and taps his cane against the dusty wooden floors.

The bartender looks away. "Something about an alliance. That's all I know. I swear." He says, stumbling over his words.

"Was that so hard?". His voice is soft. As if he was addressing a nervous child. If it wasn't for the bloodthirsty glint in his eye, one may mistake him for a kind and gentle boy who wandered into the wrong side of town. "One more thing. If anyone hears about this, I'll rip your lungs out and feed them to you while your family watches."

The bartender gulps and takes a step back. He bumps into a shelf and glasses ring in the background.

Kaz stands up. His movements are stiff in his legs. "Good day." He hums and winks at the bartender before walking out.

'Odds are that Van Eck hired Haskell as muscle or because he needs someone to back him if Rollins goes off the deep end.' He thinks. His mind calculates possible schemes as a familiar smirk form on his almost ever frowning lips.

He turns east. He has an idea. It may be a horrible one but anything worth doing starts out as a bad idea. He remembers where his crew had intercepted one of Rollins param shipments over two years ago. It was in a good location. The place was practically a fortress. It had towering stone walls and only one known way in. It was the perfect place to go if one was on the run.

It is on the edge of the city. It was one of the few places that Rollins still controlled. Kaz limped forward with a new determination in his eyes. An army couldn't breach the fortress's walls but Kaz was no army. He was much worse.

Unlike an army, he could go undetected and slip in and out without anyone noticing. He would just need to be careful. If he was seen, capture would be almost impossible to evade. Despite the chance of his own death, he pushed on through the dark streets and to the haven that Rollins had placed himself in. He may have thought that he had locked all of the demons out. But he had truly locked himself in as monsters as Kaz hunted him. He was like a fish in shark-infested water. He was a dead man walking. Kaz would finally get his revenge.